Gloria Majiga (born c. 1991) is a Malawian community development officer and environmental activist, who was awarded the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize for Africa, in recognition of her work in advocating for the enforcement of a national ban on the importation, manufacture and distribution of single-use plastics in Malawi, in 2019.[1][2]
Gloria Majiga | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991 (age 32–33) |
| Nationality | Malawian |
| Citizenship | Malawi |
| Education | University of Malawi (Bachelor of Science) University of London (Master of Laws) |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Title | Program Manager at Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA), Blantyre, Malawi. |
| Children | 1 |
Background and education
editGloria was born in Malawi circa 1991. She attended Malawian elementary and secondary schools. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Malawi. She has enrolled in the Master of Laws degree program at the University of London, on scholarship from the Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust.[3]
Career
editFollowing completion of her undergraduate degree studies, Gloria was hired by Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (CEPA), a non-government organisation based in Limbe, a suburb of Blantyre, the financial capital of Malawi.[4]
She was put in charge of the “Sustainable Agriculture Lead Farmer Project” which included a “pass-on” programme for goats and other livestock. The programme donated a female goat to one farmer. When that female produced a kid, the farmer would pass on the goat to the next farmer and so on, until all the farmers in the cohort had goats.[4]
However, the program was not progressing as planned. Some of the farmers lost their goats because they ingested plastic waste strewn around the Malawian countryside and died from intestinal obstruction as a result.[2][4]
Activism
editMalawi has on its books a law passed in 2015, which prohibits the importation, manufacture and distribution of single-use plastic. However, the law was not being enforced. Attempts by Gloria and her fellow environmentalists to hold civil dialogue with plastics manufactures in Malawi were rebuffed. As of 2016, Malawian plastic manufacturers were producing 75,000 tons of plastic annually. Of this, 80 percent was single-use, which is difficult to recycle. Plastic waste was clogging waterways and when consumed by livestock, was killing some of the animals.[1][4]
The association of plastic manufacturers sued the government, challenging the ban on single-use plastic. They won in the lower courts but the case was appealed to the country's Supreme Court. Gloria and her fellow environmentalists organized public demonstrations to highlight the "plastic problem" in the country. A study commissioned by the government of Malawi, documented that the country produces more plastic waste per capita, than any other country in sub-Saharan Africa.[1][4]
Over a five-year period, the court case made it to the Supreme Court of Malawi. In July 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that the manufacture, marketing, sale and use of single-use plastic (60 microns or less) was illegal in Malawi. Since 2019, three factories have been shut down and the fourth had its manufacturing equipment impounded.[1][4]
Personal
editGloria Majiga is a mother to one son.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Nimi Princewill (15 June 2021). "Malawi's landscape is clogged with plastic waste that could linger for 100 years. One woman has taken on plastic companies and won". Cable News Network. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ a b Inès Magoum (25 June 2021). "Malawi: Majiga receives Goldman Prize for her commitment against plastic". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ Canon Collins Trust (July 2021). "Gloria Majiga: Biography". Canon Collins Educational & Legal Assistance Trust. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Tim McDonnell (22 June 2021). "How goats helped a Malawian activist win a ban on single-use plastics". Quartz Africa. New York City. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ Julia Simon (23 June 2023). "Goats and Soda: She Owes Her Big Environmental Prize To Goats Eating Plastic Bags". National Public Radio. Washington, D.C., United States. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
External links
edit- Goldman Prize 2021: Gloria Majiga-Kamoto battled against single use plastic in Malawi and won Archived 30 July 2021 at the Wayback Machine As of 15 June 2021.
- Winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize In 2021 Archived 13 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine